The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike
by Like I'd Tell You
Summary: Lack of understanding is widely considered one of the primary sources of dislike; people tend to lash out towards what they do not comprehend. A psychology assignment forces Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba to learn what makes the other tick, and their newfound knowledge might turn their mutual hatred on its head. Joey/Seto friendship.
1. Day One

_Joey Wheeler, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike_

**Personal Journal: Day 1**

First of all, Mr. Johnston—I know you're a big, fancy psychologist guy with a million years teaching and all that, but I still think you're off your rocker this time. Tricking us into writing who we'd least like to be paired with, and then forcing us together is one thing, but making it into a huge, long project that's pretty much our whole grade for the semester is a bit much.

Anyway, I'll have you know that I _do _know Seto Kaiba, and I dislike him anyway. So no matter what you want to prove about us getting to know each other and suddenly becoming best buddies—it's _not _gonna happen.

Okay, now to really get into the first part of this monster assignment. I've never kept a journal in my life (because real guys don't write in frigging diaries), so I'll probably suck at this, but here goes nothing.

I tried talking with Moneybags after you paired us up. Didn't turn out well. You know that stupid part of this assignment, where we've got to spend three hours together every week for the whole month we're working on it?

Well, Kaiba's already got _every single second_ we're spending with each other scheduled_. _I tried telling him that he was being an over-controlling tight-ass, but apparently he has 'important meetings' and 'business trips' and 'a productive job' and a bunch of other crap like that, and can't make exceptions for a stupid high school assignment.

In other words, he's such a jackass that people need to schedule ahead to hang out with him. Not sure if I should be pissed off or pity the poor bastard, but right now I'm definitely leaning towards being pissed. I mean, _really? _He's making me shove aside my obligations because he thinks his are more important, and then he made me look like an idiot when I tried to argue, just because 'running my company' sounds more important than 'changing oil' or 'fixing cars' or any of the other stuff I do at my job.

He also had it worked out how much money it would cost him if he'd try reworking his schedule, and said that if I tried complaining, he'd make me reimburse him. While I'm pretty sure his numbers were pulled out of his ass, I got his point.

So it's Kaiba scheduling our hang-out time, and me tailoring my work hours around it.

Because he's an ass.

Anyway, that's about it for the journal entry. We didn't have time to start on that list of 'Get to Know Each Other' questions you gave us, so I don't have anything to say about those. Haven't hung out with him yet either, thank god.

That's all for Day 1, professor. Can't frigging wait for tomorrow.

* * *

_Seto Kaiba, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike_

**Personal Journal: Day 1**

Discussed schedule with partner. Wheeler exhibited typically uncivilized behavior and attempted to argue with my infallible planning. I listed big numbers and made them sound important. He accepted my logic. My schedule has been implemented.

I am due to spend exactly one hour with Wheeler tomorrow afternoon. Will have more to document then.

End of Day 1.

…

* * *

...

**A/N-**

**Hello, all. I haven't written anything for over a year, because... well, you know how life is. This is my first foray into Yugioh as well, so I'm a bit nervous. The story is in a slightly odd format, so I'm not sure how well it'll go over. I guess I'll decide whether it's successful enough to continue after the first few chapters.**

**The story itself is planned to largely be a character study and will look almost exclusively like a school report at first, but once Seto and Joey get more involved in the assignment, the chapters will be a lot longer and will read more like a story. They'll also, I imagine, get more entertaining. I'll try to keep the voices as close to accurate as I can, but some things won't carry over because of the nature of the story (i.e. Joey likely wouldn't write a paper with his distinct dialect). Finally, I have no idea how schooling in Japan works and know very little about daily life in Japan, so I'm assuming I'll write things that mark this story as taking place in America. I won't specifically say that this takes place in America like the dub, but I imagine it'll be more accurate if you assume that's the case. **

**That's everything, I think. I've got a handful of chapters of this written so update times should be fairly consistent. Feedback would be much appreciate. (:**


	2. Day Two

Joey Wheeler, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

…

**Questions: **

**Q: What is your relationship with your parents?**

A: "They're dead. Was closest to my mother. Father wasn't around much. Step-father doesn't count. Move on to the next fucking question, Wheeler."

**Q: Do you have other family members? What do they mean to you?**

A: "I have my brother, Mokuba..." (insert irritated pause) "Quit waiting for more, Mutt. That's all you're getting." (Insert reminder that grade depends on detailed answers) "Then write something down. You are aware of my relationship with Mokuba. I'm sure you can think of something." (Insert accusation that Kaiba is too heartless to admit to caring about his brother). "Fuck you, Wheeler. I love him."

_*Legitimacy of above response is debatable; relatively sure that Kaiba admitting to loving someone is hallucination by interviewer. Or potential insanity brought on by too much time in Seto Kaiba's unholy presence. _

**Q: What is the most important thing in your life? **

A: "You know the answer." ("Work?") (Insert pissed off expression) "My brother, you bastard."

…

**Personal Journal: Day 2**

My fourteen-year-old sister once walked in on me when I was engaging in certain activities with my lovely girlfriend. You know Mai, right? Well, we were in a pretty compromising position, and Serenity is just fifteen, so it was pretty awkward. As in the most awkward moment of my life.

Until today.

Kaiba and I met at a secluded coffee shop, which was his idea, and an _awful _one. He said it was because he didn't want me at his house and refused to lower himself to going over to mine, but I think it's really because he secretly wants to date me. I mean, really? Why else would two guys meet at a dinky little coffee shop?

But given that I'm, A: 90% sure that Kaiba is either a robot or some sort of asexual alien, and B: He has so few social skills he probably doesn't realize that coffee shop=date, I'm gonna let it go.

Anyway, we did our questions, and it sucked every bit as much as I figured it would. The first few are pretty easy, but I almost had to resort to frigging waterboarding to get anything out of the creep. I mean, we've got _thirty _to cover before the end of the month, and it took us almost an hour to get through three. And since you specified that answering the questions doesn't count towards the time we're supposed to spend 'bonding,' that meant we had to spend _more _time together on top of that.

We wound up playing Duel Monsters. Not like there's anything else we have in common. Anyway, it was weird, sitting in a coffee shop and playing on the tabletop like Yugi and I did before Kaiba came out with all his fancy holograms. A lot less dramatic, but it was pretty nostalgic. He won both times, but I'm pretty sure he was cheating somehow. No way he could've beaten me so easily otherwise. Probably because I let him take care of the scoring and never bothered to make sure he was doing the math right.

Last time that's happening.

Oh! I just thought of something to comment on about Kaiba's questions. Did you know he used to be a mama's boy? I mean, his mom's dead now. Just like his dad. And step-dad. But he said he'd had the closest relationship with his mother. Isn't that ridiculous? I mean, I can almost see it, since he's such a skinny little geek and everything, but it's weird at the same time, the idea of Seto Kaiba letting someone mother him.

Of course, maybe I'm reading too much into things. For Kaiba, having a 'close' relationship probably means occasional small talk or an absence of insults or something. Probably yelled at her if she got too close, even if he would've been like six or whatever.

That's about everything. No sudden lovey-dovey feelings whenever Kaiba is around. No desire to become friends with him. Not one modicum of progress.

Sorry to say it, Mr. J, but this assignment is looking to be an _epic fail. _

…

**Time Spent Together: **

1 Hour

**Activity: **

Duel Monsters

* * *

Seto Kaiba, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

…

**Questions: **

**Q: What is your relationship with your parents?**

A: "Not good. My dad drinks too much and has anger issues, and my mom hasn't ever been very fond of me. Thought I was too much like him, so she ditched me when she and my sister moved out. That left me alone in a house with a violent alcoholic… and I guess you can imagine how that turned out. I don't talk with my parents much at all anymore."

_*Partner seems to be under the mistaken impression that he must give his whole life story. If this trend continues, I will put forth effort to curb his anecdotes. Unfortunately, I currently have a headache and am not eager to enter into an argument with a senseless moron. _

**Q: Do you have other family members? What do they mean to you?**

A: "Serenity is my only other family, and I love her more than anything. We look out for each other. I always used to protect her from my dad, and she'd go out of her way to make sure I was okay afterwards. She actually saved my life once, too. Remember that, Kaiba? She was pretty brilliant, diving into the water and everything. It's more than that, though. Serenity makes me want to be a better person, and always gives me inspiration when I need it. She's good and perfect, but she somehow looks up to me anyway, and I never want to let her down. I always fight to be the role-model she sees me as."

_- Wheeler's relationship with his sister is interesting… shares parallels with my_

_*Am very tempted to enter into argument despite headache. His prattle irritates me. Of course I remember his stupid sister jumping into the water for him. Not exactly something a person can easily forget. _

**Q: What is the most important thing in your life? **

A: "Serenity is probably on top, but my friends are up there too. Yugi and Tristan and Duke and Tea and Ryou. They mean everything to me, and we've been through hell and back together. I would do anything for those guys, and they'd do anything for me. I… I can't even explain it, how lost I'd be without them… Of course I wouldn't have to explain it to you, huh? You must know pretty well what it's like not to have any friends."

_*Interesting, how the mutt seems to think I give a damn. _

…

**Personal Journal: Day 2**

Had first meeting with Wheeler. Exchanged questions.

I do not appreciate the personal nature of the inquiries. Plan on requesting different list.

Wheeler's responses were less typical than expected. He seems too happy for his circumstances. Leads me to believe he is mentally slow or exceptionally ignorant. Both are likely options.

Engaged in two rounds of Duel Monsters after interview ceased. Won both easily. He suspected me of cheating. I do not need to cheat to beat third-rate duelists who rely on luck to win. His efforts were pathetic. If we are to continue dueling during our required time together, I will either force him to adopt a new strategy or get a new deck.

I do not like wasting my time crushing incompetent opponents.

No change in opinion of Wheeler. The concept behind this assignment is obviously unsound.

End of Day Two.

…

**Time Spent Together: **

1 Hour

**Activity: **

Duel Monsters

…

...

**Author's Note: **

**Thanks for the reviews and follows so far :). This chapter is slightly (very slightly) longer, but everything will still be going pretty slowly at this point. I am planning to post at least the first five-ten days worth of entries on a daily or every two day basis because they are going to be so short, but I got behind on this one because of internet problems. **

**Also, there'll be places where the writing breaks off suddenly, or Joey or Seto seem to start one thought and go on to another. That's on-purpose. Probably not the most realistic, but I'm writing this on the premise they'd be doing the project in a notebook, in pen that they'd have to cross off or leave instead of erase. Given the context of the assignment, there'll be things they write down without thinking that will give more insight into their thoughts than if they were being entirely honest. Sometimes you'll have to read between the lines, but sometimes I'll give glimpses, especially towards the start of the assignment when they're still being especially mechanical about it. **

**Anyway, tell me what you think, and I'll try getting another chapter up ASAP. **


	3. Day Three

Joey Wheeler, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

…

**Questions:**

**Q: What is your favorite color? **

A: "This seems highly irrelevant." ("Shut up and answer the question, Moneybags. Not like it's asking anything deep or personal.") "I do not have a favorite color. It's a waste of time to care about such trivial things." ("I bet it's blue. I'm writing blue.") "Fine."

**Q: What is your most treasured memory? **

A: "…" ("I bet it was getting Mokuba back after Duelist Kingdom. You even smiled then. Remember? It was a little scary.") "Whatever." ("You're not being very cooperative, Kaiba. This is supposed to be a 'comprehensive evaluation' of one another. I bet your shitty responses are gonna lower our grade.") "Put the Duelist Kingdom thing, mutt. I said whatever."

_*Must note that he must be pretty pathetic if that's his most treasured memory. Given, Kaiba doesn't feel happiness like normal people, so I'm surprised he has even that much. I suppose I can accept the answer. _

…

**Personal Journal: Day 3**

So… don't have to hang out with Kaiba today, which is a relief. We did ask each other questions at the start of class though. He was even more of a tight-ass than usual, probably because there were people around and he was worried they might overhear something awful. Like him, showing human emotion.

Not that he did. I mean, the color question wasn't exactly deep, but asking about his best memory? That should've gotten some sort of reaction. But _nope_. Not even a blink.

Definitely a robot. Or an alien. I'm not entirely sure which.

Well… this is still during the class period, since our questions didn't take long. And from observation, I'd have to go with the robot thing. I mean, right now he's sitting on his laptop. Not blinking. Back perfectly straight. Face totally blank. It's a bit creepy. I wonder if he's like one of those guys who stands in front of that palace in London—the ones with the funny black hats—who don't move at all even if you jump in front of them or whatever. Maybe…

Okay. He isn't like that at all. I just tried waving my hand in the creep's face, and he almost took it off. Literally grabbed it and twisted and said that if I put my fingers anywhere near his face again, he'd break them.

Not creepy at all (meant sarcastically, in case you missed that Mr. J). Maybe he's a Terminator. It would explain a lot. Like how good he is at combat. There's no other way that skinny geek-boy could fight like I've seen him. Or run without getting winded. Or do that thing with the Duel Monsters cards, where he throws them like weapons. Seriously, that isn't _human. _Not that Kaiba is badass like Arnold or anything, but I can see him as a violent robot that likes blowing things up.

God. I'm bored—bored enough to be thinking of Moneybags as a _Terminator_. Three days in, and this project is still going nowhere_. _Not that I expected it would. I'm working with frigging Seto Kaiba, on a psychology assignment that's supposed to make me _like him. _I've tried liking him before, you know. Been rejected a bunch of times, and am now well aware that he's a heartless asshole who is utterly impossible for anyone to like.

Come on, Mr. J. Just end this now. Put me out of my misery. Do _something. _I can't take thirty days of Kaiba.

It'll kill me.

* * *

Seto Kaiba, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

…

**Questions:**

**(Asked instructor for different list of questions. Inquiry was met with negative response. Must continue using current, defective list)**

**Q: What is your favorite color? **

A: "I dunno. It changes from day-to-day. Maybe green, though. Or purple. Mai's eyes are a beautiful purple."

_*If Wheeler starts mentioning Mai Valentine with frequency, I will kill someone. Preferably him._

**Q: What is your most treasured memory? **

A: "Making friends with Yugi. Tristan and I… we used to be awful to him. We were both pretty big jerks, and he was just so happy all the time, you know? I thought he was naïve and stupid and it pissed me off that he thought everything was so frigging _sunny. _I had the brainless idea that I needed to show him what real life was like. I even stole a piece of his Puzzle and threw it into the pool, and you know how much that thing meant to him.

Anyway, this creep Ushio started beating up on Tristan and I, and Yugi… he stood up for us, said that we were his _friends. _I'd never had anyone do that for me before. He stuck around after that too, pretty much taught me how to give a shit again. Best day of my life, easily."

…

**Personal Journal: Day 3**

I had not been aware that Wheeler had not always behaved as he does now. Wheeler is correct—I recognize how much Yugi's Puzzle meant to him, and I cannot believe he would have forgiven anyone for tampering with it so easily.

I… do not know what else to write. I cannot see Wheeler as a bully or a pessimist. He is… he is sickeningly self-righteous, with his drivel about friendship and destiny and doing what is right. Given, I recognize that he is an incompetent moron, but I never imagined he would have had the attitude to match.

Of course, Wheeler also mentioned living with a violent alcoholic for a length of time. I imagine he suffered verbal abuse at the very least, likely physical, and naturally that ends up encouraging similar behavior in those subjected to it. But in _Wheeler? _

I struggle to process this. I do not get it. If I were to outline his story—distant from parents, close to younger sibling, struggles to… to behave humanely—I would almost say-

No. He is _nothing _like that. Nothing. He is brutish and stupid and pathetic and he could never understand, but I

No.

Opinion of subject has not changed. _At all. _

End of Day 3.

…

...

**Author's Note: **

**Well, at least Kaiba is noticing a few similarities with that big brain of his-not that it'll mean immediate progress; if anything, it'll make him even warier. Hmm... along those lines (sort of), who do you guys think will crack first? Kaiba, who obviously _needs _a friend more, or Joey, who's a bit more thick-headed, but only has his dislike of Kaiba to get over, and not aversion to the concept of friendship in general?**

**Who would you _want _to start softening first? I've already got an idea of who I'm picking, but I'm a bit curious as to who you'd prefer. Joey, Kaiba, or both at the same time? **

**I'd love a response-or other feedback. Either way is wonderful. **

**Until tomorrow, **

**LITY**

**(Also, thanks for all the reviews; I'm thrilled you like the story so far, and have really enjoyed reading your comments. Please keep it up)**


	4. Day Four

Joey Wheeler, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

…

**Questions: **

**Q: What is your most terrible memory? **

A: "No. I am not answering. Do not push me on this one, Wheeler."

_*His tone… I'm not gonna argue with it, Mr. J. Sorry. _

**Q: If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it?**

A: "_If_?" ("Kaiba, don't be a douche. Just… what do you do with the millions of dollars you have?") "You don't just _spend _a million dollars, mutt-not if you're smart. What I don't invest back into my company, or other basic expenses like bills and taxes, stays in the bank. The most money I generally 'spend' at once goes to charitable organizations; building schools or hospitals, or I suppose even Kaiba Land could qualify, though that was worth well over a million dollars."

("Kaiba Land? Your _theme park_.") _Insert pissed off glare_ ("The park allows orphanages to bring their children free of charge, and a relatively large portion of its total revenue goes towards similar causes—a large enough portion that the park generates next to no profit. Your misconception, _Mutt_, is that wealth and greed are synonymous. My goal is not always to use my earnings to make more money."

**Q: What is your favorite book? **

A: "_Crime and Punishment_." ("Never heard of it. Sounds boring.") "And you wonder why I think you an ignorant moron."

…

**Personal Journal: Day 4**

Before I get into anything else, I need to write this part down before I forget everything.

I hadn't expected Kaiba to read anything other than stuffy nonfiction crap. So maybe his favorite book is probably pretty stuffy too—it's still a legitimate novel. That actually threw me off enough that I started wondering what it was about, so I asked around a bit, until I found out that Yugi's _grandpa, _of all people, had read it.

From what I gather, the story is about this poor guy who doesn't think very highly of typical laws and morals or whatever. Anyway, he goes out and kills some old woman, then tries justifying himself by saying that she was worthless anyway, and that it was okay since he had good reasons for it. You know, the means justify the end and whatnot.

Well, the guy totally starts feeling guilty afterwards, so he confesses and goes to prison, and pretty much ends up thinking that the only way to redeem himself and feel happy again is by suffering.

It's weird, thinking about Seto Kaiba liking a book like that. Something about being torn over morals and needing to justify actions and suffering for redemption. It sounds like it's full of doubt and angst and a lot of _being unsure_, which doesn't fit Kaiba at all. Even the debate on whether the means justify the ends doesn't really apply, because I've never known Kaiba to have any very legitimate ends planned for any of his shit. I mean, it's not like he stole Yugi's grandpa's card for decent reasons, or that he had a humanitarian end in mind when he threatened to throw himself off that castle in Duelist Kingdom. He has asshole means, followed by a selfish end. All the time.

Maybe he finds the idea of people having internal conflict over that sort of thing amusing. Or something. I don't even know. It's entirely possible that he even gets off on the idea of all that mental anguish and suffering.

Still. I guess it's something to think about, Kaiba liking that sorta novel.

Just like his charity crap. Now _that _was surprising.

I actually went to Kaiba Corp's website and looked to make sure Kaiba wasn't lying, and he wasn't. He actually donates some of his precious profits to a handful of different organizations, most of them involving kids and giving them opportunities, like building schools in third-world countries, or finding good families for orphans.

Kaiba Land was by far the biggest thing, though. Kaiba was right when he said it's practically non-profit. The thing about the orphanages is true too. And I never noticed before, but the prices are frigging _cheap _anyway.

I don't get it. Don't get him. I remember what he said when we were discussing this question, have it written down actually, about how being rich and being greedy aren't the same. Which are words I never would've pictured coming out of Kaiba's mouth, but maybe he's not as much of a hypocrite as I'd thought when he first said it. I mean, I've seen him be greedy about Duel Monsters cards, but never really with money. Yeah, he acts like an entitled prick because of his success, but it's not like he ever says anything about wanting more money, and judging by how Roland sorta worships him, I'm guessing he pays his employees well. Then there are the charities, so... yeah.

Not saying he's a good guy, or even that this is putting points in his favor. I still hate his guts. But maybe there's a redeeming quality buried there somewhere.

Very, very deep.

Oh, well. Um... not much else to say, but there are fifteen minutes left of class so I might as well write _something. _Let's see... uh, we aren't hanging out today. I've got time scheduled with him tomorrow, though. Mokuba has a soccer match, and apparently Kaiba goes to those. Like he's the kid's mother or something. Anyway, he figured it'd be a good time to cross off the last couple hours for this week without missing extra work or having to properly socialize with me. I don't mind either; Mokuba's a good kid, and watching him zip around a soccer field for a couple hours shouldn't be too painful. I just hope Kaiba doesn't go all 'soccer mom' on me. I'm really not interested in being, you know, scarred for life.

God. Kaiba. As a soccer mom. Now there's a mental picture I'd like to get rid of. See? That's how evil he is. He causes me mental distress without so much as a glance in my direction. It's creepy.

Well, so is thinking of him being all peppy and cheery and 'Go, Mokuba!' but still.

Now he's looking at me. Good lord, I hope he doesn't know what I'm thinking. He looks irritated. Maybe he can see it in my eyes...

Nope. He's done now. Is back to typing on his laptop. I wonder if he's actually doing work stuff, or if he's just playing solitaire. Or maybe writing in an online journal. I can just see him now.

_Dear Diary, _

_I hate Wheeler. I hate the world. I hate everybody. I'm going to glare at them all until they die. _

_Shit. They aren't dying... I must activate my evil villain power- 'Be an enormous asshole.' It shall make me irritating enough that thousands will kill themselves to escape, and I will get myself a throne, and order everyone who doesn't kill themselves to build a palace in my honor, and it shall be shaped like a Blue-Eyes. __Because I have a dragon fetish. _

_Ah, a flawless plan. _

_Wonder-Kaiba powers, activate!_

Um, sorry. That was probably off-topic, and I can't afford a bad grade on this, so... let's get back to psychoanalyzing Kaiba. I guess I could talk about his response to the first question, which legitimately scared me. I mean, I never thought about it much, but... Kaiba's worst memory is probably bad. Like, really, really bad. See, there was this... _thing _that happened a couple years back, with me and all my friends and Kaiba, and it gave me a pretty good idea what Gozaburo had been like, and what Kaiba might've dealt with growing up with the guy. And... it wasn't good. Nothing I saw was good. So there's all that. Then all the times Mokuba's been kidnapped. Um, he lost his soul once, believe it or not. Had a bunch of big-shots at his company betray to Maximilian Pegasus of all people, and then to his face right after. Lost both his parents. Grew up in an orphanage. Um, he had dueling, but now everyone considers him second-best in that. Has no friends. Mokuba's his only family.

And, well shit. It looks bad when I write all that on paper. Like, really bad. As in, he's a heartless asshole and I hate his guts, but... maybe he deserves my pity or something. Like the Phantom of the Opera.

But thinking about it, Kaiba knows that I know all that shit about him. And he _still _wouldn't share his worst memory.

Which means it's _worse _than all those things I just listed.

It's... scary, sorta. Thinking about what that means.

That doesn't mean this assignment is working, or that my opinion of him has changed at all. Kaiba is who he is. So maybe, at one point, he might've been someone else. That person's been taken away, and that's not changing, no matter what I learn in this assignment. I'll say it again-I've _tried _getting to him a million times before, but there's nothing left to get to.

Might as well let me stop now. This... it's just making me uncomfortable, thinking about stuff I'd rather ignore.

You should've known better, Mr. J. You've got me trying to understand Seto Kaiba, and that...

It's just not possible.

* * *

Seto Kaiba, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

…

**Questions:**

**Q: What is your most terrible memory? **

A: "Shit, I don't even know. There's been a lot, and you've even been there for most of it. All that whacky shit that's happened to us, and… But no, the worst was the first time my father... well, you'd probably actually have a decent idea, I guess. I mean, the other stuff's painful, the losing people or worrying about dying, but it's betrayal that's the worst. Loving someone and having them kick the crap out of you. That's what really _hurts._"

_*Why is Wheeler answering these questions so completely? He hates me, and it is obviously painful for him. He is letting someone he dislikes see him vulnerable, and for what? A stupid assignment? I do not understand him, and I do not understand how he's retained such a ridiculous nature despite his father, and… and how he could express something similar to empathy with me, of all people. It is... perplexing. _

**Q: If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it?**

A: "Buy a jet shaped like my favorite trading card." ("_Wheeler.") _"Well, I don't know. Haven't exactly had years to determine that sorta thing like some people, now have I? I'd like to say charity—be a 'big man' like you, Kaiba, but really I think I'd be selfish. Get my dad into a good rehab facility, buy pretty things for Serenity, and maybe get me a place of my own. That sorta thing."

_*Wheeler has an interesting definition of selfish. _

**Q: What is your favorite book? **

A: "I guess I don't read much. Um… Serenity wanted me to read _Jane Eyre _once... got through half of it. It was... Um, oh. I like _Star_ Wars... the, you know, expanded universe books. Or book. Like, the one I'd read... a few years ago. When I needed to read something for a class."

_*Why am I not surprised? _

…

**Personal Journal: Day 4**

This is becoming trite.

What do you wish for me to write?

Wheeler answered his questions. His father is an ass. He likes his friends. He's a moronic ignoramus who's probably read a total of five books from front to cover in his life. I believe I covered this yesterday, albeit without the line about his aversion to reading.

Likely because, at the time, I'd simply assumed he couldn't read at all.

So perhaps I saw something of myself in Wheeler. That means little. Yes, his father was an asshole. Yes, he cares for his sister.

Yes, he had _problems _with his behavior towards others.

No, that means _nothing. _I hate Wheeler, and I always have. I have interacted with him more in the past few years than I would have wanted to in a hundred lifetimes, and not one of those interactions has ever left me with feelings of anything beyond irritation and dislike. He is abrasive and stupid, and little more than a walking headache. It does not matter that his friendship babble has suddenly taken on a new meaning, now that I know of his poor home life and recognize that he likely finds acceptance with his companions that is not available elsewhere. I do not care that his reckless persistence and innumerable attempts to prove his competence are likely a means by which to convince _himself _that he's good enough, and that those means could be seen as psychologically comparable to my slight perfectionism.

I am also _clearly_ not affected by the knowledge that when Wheeler offered me his friendship, he likely thought he _understood me _and was, from what I now know, probably hoping to help me in the way his companions helped him.

I am not Wheeler. I do not need, nor want friendship.

And if I did?

It would never, ever be Wheeler.

End of Day Four.

...

...

**Author's Note- **

**Sorry, I did a bit of rewriting for this and couldn't get it out yesterday. Hopefully the slightly added length makes up for it. There's a lot of babbling from Joey and a lot of non-progress from Kaiba, but I guess that's just Joey being Joey and Kaiba being Kaiba. Don't worry-things will change soon. **

**Thanks for your responses to my question last chapter. I won't tell you what I've got planned, but you'll figure it out soon enough; it won't be long before the first person begins to have a noticeable change in opinion. I also appreciate the comments-Lppurplegirl11, caffeinatedsaiyangirl, and Guest, as of last chapter. Feedback's always wonderful, so I love it when you take the time to drop a few lines. **

**I might-_might_-update again tonight, since I didn't yesterday. If not, expect something tomorrow evening sometime. **

**LITY**


	5. Day Five

Joey Wheeler, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

**Personal Journal: Day 5**

So, that was... different. We went to Mokuba's soccer match today, like Kaiba had scheduled us to, and it'd gone about like I thought it would. I'd expected Moneybags's chauffeur to pick us up from school, but he'd driven instead. I hadn't known he _could _drive, and I certainly hadn't expected him to have a frigging Lexus. Shockingly, I mean that in a 'this guy has a limo and a jet and a _blimp_, so where the hell's the Aston Martin?' sort of way, and not the 'holy shit, that car's worth at least two years' worth of rent' way. Kaiba's the type of guy who _thrives_ off of looking like a wealthy bad ass.

Seeing the Lexus instead of a million dollar sports car? Sorta made me worry my Kaiba-as-a-soccer-mom nightmares were about to come true.

Of course, when I asked him about it, Kaiba sneered and said, "This is hardly my best car, mutt. In addition to my limousine, I have a custom designed Bugatti Veyron, as well as a Ferrari 360 I once purchased on a whim." He smirked for a moment, taking joy in my irritated expression (because expected or not, knowing that Moneybags has two million dollars' worth of car in his garage more than pissed me off), then added almost as an afterthought, "That being said, driving such a vehicle would attract attention I do not want. If I'm lucky, I will get through the afternoon without being recognized."

"Don't you sorta live for bein' recognized?" I'd asked, because _really, _I think there's a picture of Kaiba in there dictionary, right next to 'ostentatious,' 'egotist,' and 'attention-seeking bastard.'

But Kaiba, he'd looked at me like I was a moron (although he looks at everyone like that, so maybe it wasn't me), and he'd said, totally serious-like, "I command attention when necessary to make a point or assert my superiority. Typically, it does little more than annoy me, and in this instance particularly, I would not wish for my presence to overshadow Mokuba's game."

So, let's see; in that sentence, Seto Kaiba-expressed a dislike for attention, admitted to catering to someone's needs other than his own, _and _indirectly displayed big-brotherly affection.

And _holy shit_, there's a flying pig.

I mean, I guess I knew that Kaiba loves Mokuba. It's obvious. I've seen him go through hell for the kid, even watched him forfeit a Duel because it would've hurt his brother if he hadn't, and just... seeing how he opens up around him says a lot, too. But there's a difference between loving someone and actually being decent to them. I don't exactly _know _Kaiba, you know, but I thought I did well enough to assume that he and Mokuba had one of those distant sibling relationships where they never spend time together or actually display affection beyond quick hugs following life-threatening situations.

But nope. Kaiba hadn't only taken time out of his schedule to go to the match—he was going out of his way to be sneaky about it because he didn't want his enormous ego to take away from his brother's day.

It's almost like he was being thoughtful or something.

And then—get this—he _smiled _when Mokuba scored a goal. Like, with the corners of his lips turning up and everything, and Mokuba had looked right to the shadows under the stands (which is where Moneybags had us skulking), like Kaiba showed up often enough for the kid to know exactly where he'd be, and Kaiba had locked eyes with him and did a not-unfriendly head-nod thing, then waved a hand for Mokuba to get back to playing. In a big-brother way. I mean, an actual, something-I-might've-done-with-Serenity big-brother way.

It gets weirder, too. See, the match only lasted a bit over an hour, and since Kaiba had planned for today to be our last 'hang out' day of the week, he insisted we find something else to do for the other fifty-some minutes. We shot ideas back and forth and argued a bit, but then Mokuba came out of the locker rooms and said he was hungry and suggested we all go get pizza.

So Kaiba and Mokuba and I _went out for dinner._

The whole meal was like something from the Twilight Zone. I mean, Kaiba was still all stony-faced and constipated and he glanced at his phone every five minutes, but he and Mokuba argued about what to get on the pizza and Kaiba stole Mokuba's silverware when the kid tried taking his phone, and they talked. Well, Mokuba and I did mostly, about sports and video games and school and stuff, but Moneybags occasionally commented on something Mokuba said. He even asked him about his homework at one point, and when Mokuba mumbled about not understanding some sort of pre-calculus stuff, rich boy told him he'd help him with it sometime this weekend.

Yeah.

And _there's more. _

I asked Mokuba what he was doing this weekend, just for curiosity's sake, you know. Anyway, he said he really never had plans on the weekends because he was starting to do a bit of work at Kaiba Corp, and besides, he didn't like any of his friends well enough to spend much time with them outside of school. He was pretty convincing too, but there'd been this look on his face like he wished he could've given a different reply. I figured it must be difficult for him, being smarter and about a million times more mature than everyone his age, and then being filthy rich and having Kaiba for a brother on top of that. I can't imagine how many people have tried being friends with the kid because they _wanted _something from him, and it was pretty clear that he'd sort of shut himself off because of it.

Which was sad. I mean, Kaiba not having friends? That's his fault. But Mokuba's actually _likable_, and yeah, maybe he's a devious little shit sometimes. He's still got a good heart.

So I shrugged and said, "I was planning on stayin' with Yugi tonight. Y'know, play video games, duel a bit. Eat rotten food. You wanna come?"

It was like flipping a switch. His face lit up like it was Christmas, just for a sec, before he remembered himself a bit and schooled his features just like his brother would've. He fidgeted in his seat and looked at Kaiba, and he said, "Can I, Seto? It'll be with Yugi, and you like him." Smart kid—emphasizing that the only one of us rich boy could stand would be there. Definitely a mini-Moneybags.

"Mokuba..."

"I've got work tomorrow morning," I pitched in, because it looked an awful lot like it'd break the kid's heart if Kaiba told him no at that point, "If he's doin' stuff for Kaiba Corp, I can drop him off on my way."

Kaiba gritted his teeth and looked like he was trying to get out of it, but then Mokuba did this thing where he pouted and gave the guy _perfect _puppy-dog eyes, and it was like watching a glacier melt. All the steel left his face, and Kaiba did this sharp exhale thing like he was making a point to let everyone know he was pissed off, but he agreed. Mokuba let that thousand-watt grin of his come back, and I had to smile a bit too. I was actually kind of excited. I could see this meant a lot to Mokuba, yeah? He probably didn't just get to hang out very much ever, and you know how when you do something that makes someone else really, light-up-on-the-inside happy, and you get this warm fuzzy feeling that makes you feel every bit as happy as they do?

That's what this was like.

Um, anyway... not much else to document, other than my confrontation with Kaiba, which was just as weird as everything else had been. We'd finished our meal and Kaiba told Mokuba to go to the car—said that he had to talk to me in private about something for our assignment. Mokuba looked skeptical—he's not an idiot—but went along with it, and I was left alone with rich boy.

Any tiny bit of humanity that Mokuba had bought to his face seeped away, and he leaned forward and folded his hands in front of him like a bad guy from a movie, and it was like... like in Angel, where the vampires have two faces and one of them is normal, and then the other is all yellow-eyed and evil and 'grr, I'll suck your blood.' That's what Kaiba did. Except, without literally growing fangs.

"Why did you do that?" he asked in this low, icy voice that made my whole body go cold.

"What d'you _mean? _I didn't do anything."

"_Mokuba_. Why did you ask Mokuba to stay with you?"

"What? You had to have seen how bummed he looked when he said he didn't have any plans. It was the decent-"

"I _won't have you pitying him, Wheeler_," Kaiba hissed, and I almost jumped backwards out of my seat. I've heard rumors he'd done something to make his stepfather jump out a window, and I wouldn't be surprised if a look like the one he'd given me then hadn't been what turned the bastard suicidal; it made running away look appealing, at the very least. "If you even consider taking him on as one of your do-gooder-"

Okay, I was a bit scared, but Kaiba was pissing me off, so I gathered up all my courage and snapped back at him.

"Oh, get _over yourself. _I. Like. Your. Brother. _Dumbass_. S'got nothing to do with _pity_. Okay, I don't make a habit of spending time with twelve-year-olds. Thing is, Mokuba doesn't act twelve. He's an acquaintance, he didn't have plans. I asked him to hang out. It's what normal people do."

He narrowed his eyes and studied me carefully, obviously trying to determine whether I was telling the truth. After a minute or so, he seemed satisfied, and nodded tersely.

"Very well. You seem to be sincere. If it turns out you are not, I will ruin you. If he comes home upset, or harmed in any way, I will ruin you. If-"

"Yeah, I fuck up, you'll ruin me. I get it. Happy?"

He gave me this look, which very clearly said 'I'm never happy,' but muttered, "I suppose." Then-and I still can't believe this-then he closed his eyes for a second and looked like he was bracing himself for something very unpleasant, and he pursed his lips and said, "I... appreciate this. Mokuba has had past experiences that have severely hampered his desire to spend time with kids his own age, but he is still a somewhat... sociable person, and occasionally becomes frustrated with his inability to relate to his classmates. If you do not ruin this, I believe it will be good for him."

His face was stony when he spoke, but I think I might've caught just a glimpse of human emotion in his eyes before he shut it down completely. Not sure if it was that emotion or maybe the decency I saw in the way he treated his brother, but I couldn't help but mutter, "Y'know, Kaiba. You may be an inconsiderate dick with a pole up your ass, but you're good to your brother. I respect that."

Of course, he snorted and said, "And now my life is complete," in this really sarcastic way that made it obvious he's being an ass. But still. That was to be expected.

I don't even know what conclusion I should draw from all this. I don't even know how much of Kaiba's behavior was real and how much was to appease Mokuba.

So... I'll just stop there. I know I'm supposed to analyze his actions and talk about my feelings, but I'm honestly not sure what to write. It's like... like when you absolutely hate chicken, but you like buffalo sauce, and you have to eat the chicken but can choke it down since the sauce makes it better. That's what Kaiba's like. Like... like he's the chicken, and Mokuba is the buffalo sauce. He's tolerable with the kid around, but it doesn't change the fact that he's chicken. I mean, I've still got it in my mind that 'oh, I just ate chicken and it wasn't awful,' but next time I get him without the sauce, it'll be as bad as always.

Um. That was awful. Especially because I love chicken. But I think you get my point. Me, being weirded out by Kaiba and finding him oddly un-robotic doesn't mean this assignment is working or that my opinion of him is changing.

It just means that Mokuba is some damn potent sauce, and that, quite frankly, Yugi and mini-Moneybags better be hungry, because now I've got the weirdest craving for buffalo chicken.

…

**Time Spent Together:**

2 Hours

**Activity:**

Soccer Match and Pizza

* * *

Seto Kaiba, 1st Hour Psychology: The Relationship Between Ignorance and Dislike

**Personal Journal: Day 5**

I allowed Mokuba to stay at Yugi's home. With Wheeler.

Wheeler is driving him to work tomorrow.

I expressed hope that the evening went well, because…

Because somehow, Wheeler has become someone I view as a suitable companion for my brother.

Mokuba needs this. I can… well, I can't understand, but I can see that. He has friends his own age, but holds them at an arm's length. It is difficult for him to trust, especially after the trouble he had with the children at the orphanage, and incidents later in his life in which a number of ignorant morons attempted befriending him solely due to his money. Since, he has dealt with a number of others with the same goal, and even more who hoped that by getting close to Mokuba, they would have better luck in dealing with me. He'd learned enough to blow them off, but knowing how often people are willing to use him has inspired caution while dealing with others.

Caution that, admittedly, is not necessary with Wheeler. If nothing else, I trust that he is hardly interested in getting into my good graces, and furthermore, the mutt is too proud to consider extracting money from my family. I'd worried that he had been attempting to treat Mokuba as a pet project, and that his invitation had been motivated solely out of pity, but Wheeler's response to my questioning was satisfactory.

He seems… fond of my brother. More so, he is willing to spend time with him without strings attached. The fact that they have at least the base common interests of Duel Monsters and video games, as well as a large amount of shared history… it makes the situation somewhat unobjectionable.

It hurts to think, but I had not been lying when I expressed that spending the evening with Wheeler might be good for Mokuba. While the mutt is hardly a role-model, he… he could be worse.

I will also admit that the previous statement does not extend solely to his suitability as a companion of my brother's. He was also more tolerable than I thought he would be throughout the course of the afternoon. We hardly shared intelligent conversation—it _was _Wheeler, after all—but his stupidity was not as glaringly obvious as I'd previously seen it. He'd focused much of his attention on Mokuba's match when my brother was playing, and afterwards largely ignored me, preferring to instead enter into a mundane discussion about video games and school with my brother.

He was, as I previously expressed, tolerable. It is one thing to have him answer questions in class, or spend time together dueling. This was… different, however. It required extended interaction that was not tempered by the familiarity of Duel Monsters.

And it was not unpleasant. Mokuba certainly enjoyed himself.

This changes nothing. I do not like Wheeler, nor do I need friends. We won't reconcile our differences because of a stupid assignment.

But I trust him to a very, very small extent with my brother, and his company was oddly inoffensive this afternoon.

No, I retain my vast dislike for the mutt.

Perhaps, however… I slightly underestimated him.

….

**Time Spent Together:**

2 Hours

**Activity:**

Soccer Match and Pizza

…

End of Day Five

**…**

**….**

**Author's Note: **

**Ah, the joy of longer chapters. I had this written, realized I wanted things changed, and edited it, and since it's a good thousand words longer than my first couple chapters, it took more time than expected. Daily updates probably won't happen much anymore, but I'd expect every two or three. If I do get on a roll, it could be a couple in an afternoon. Depends, I suppose.**

**Thank you for your feedback. I'm glad to see people are liking this story, and especially appreciate the approval of Joey last chapter. I sometimes worry about keeping the voices realistic, more so now that Seto and Joey are getting into the assignment and elaborating on things more. On that note, if anyone has a perception of Joey or Seto that really stands out, don't be afraid to comment—or to tell me if you think I'm making them OOC. Advice is good, especially when I'm trying to copy the voices of two characters with such vastly different personalities. **

**Love, love, love all your support, and I hope you keep enjoying the story. **

**LITY**


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